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☆ 500,000 New Yorkers Could Have Medical Debt Erased Under New Program
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Joseph Goldstein | More About Joseph Goldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

New York City will buy up millions of dollars of medical debt and erase it in a program that officials hope will ultimately help as many as 500,000 New Yorkers. Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday that the city would invest $18 million in a partnership with a nonprofit organization that buys up unpaid medical debt from hospitals at steep discounts and then erases it. Hospital systems and commercial debt buyers are often willing to sell medical debt at steep discounts, and the $18 million could wipe out over $2 billion in unpaid medical bills, city officials said. “Up to half a million New Yorkers will see their medical debt wiped thanks to this life-changing program — the largest municipal initiative of its kind in the country,” Mayor Adams said. Daniel Lempert, a spokesman for the nonprofit organization RIP Medical Debt, said that the group had begun conversations with New York City hospitals about examining their books to identify patients eligible for debt relief.

Persons: Eric Adams, ” Mayor Adams, Daniel Lempert Organizations: Yorkers, ”, RIP, New Locations: York City, New York City

☆ How Allegations of an Office Romance Came to Complicate the Case Against Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Serge F. Kovaleski | Richard Fausset | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Soon after her victory, she set up a group to interview job candidates called the Integrity Transition Hiring Committee. Wade, a lawyer and municipal court judge from the Atlanta suburbs whom she counted as a longtime friend and mentor. But in recent days, allegations have surfaced that Mr. Wade was not only a mentor to Ms. Willis, but also a romantic partner. The allegations appeared in a court motion filed this month by Michael Roman, one of Mr. Trump’s 14 co-defendants in the Georgia case. In an interview with The New York Times, a person familiar with the situation said the two had grown close after meeting in a legal education course for judges in 2019 — some two years before Ms. Willis hired Mr. Wade as special prosecutor in the Trump case.

Persons: Willis, Nathan J, Wade, Donald J, Trump, ”, Michael Roman, Trump’s, Mr Organizations: The New York Times Locations: Georgia’s Fulton County, Atlanta, Georgia

☆ Residents of Southern Mexican Town Set Govt Palace on Fire After Police Kill Young Man
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LERDO DE TEJADA, Mexico (Reuters) - Residents of a Mexican town set fire to the municipal palace overnight on Friday in a violent protest after local police shot a young man in the neck, according to his relatives, after he did not stop his car at a checkpoint. National media reported that police shot dead 27-year-old Brandon Arellano, the son of a local teacher, as he arrived outside his grandmother's house. Residents of Lerdo de Tejada, a town in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, overturned a police car and set it on fire and clashed with police officers at the scene. They also broke windows at the local government palace and set it on fire. (Reporting by Tamara Corro in Veracruz and Raul Cortes in Mexico City; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Persons: LERDO DE, Brandon Arellano, Delfino Arellano, Arellano, Lerdo de Tejada, Tamara Corro, Raul Cortes, Sarah Morland, Chizu Nomiyama Organizations: Authorities Locations: LERDO DE TEJADA, Mexico, Lerdo, Gulf, Veracruz, Mexico City

☆ Fani Willis Affair Claims Are Nothing More Than Bad Optics: Experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Associated Press | Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Allegations have surfaced of an affair between Fulton County DA Fani Willis and an attorney she hired. AdvertisementFulton County District Attorney Fani Willis hired attorney Nathan Wade to lead the Georgia prosecution of Donald Trump and 18 others over efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The lawyer is seeking to get the indictment tossed and to remove Willis and Wade from the case. Outside of any effect on this case, Willis, an elected Democrat, is up for reelection this year, and this could become a campaign issue depending on how she ultimately responds. Records show Wade billed for what he described as "travel to Athens; conf with White House Counsel" in May 2022.

Persons: Fani Willis, Nathan Wade, Willis, Donald Trump, —, Wade, Wade —, Trump, vies, it's, Rahmani, Anthony Michael Kreis, Ashleigh Merchant, Michael Roman, Merchant, unseal, Joycelyn Wade, Joycelyn, Jeff DiSantis, John Floyd, Anna Cross, Wade's, Thurbert Baker, Baker, It's, Neil Warren, foreperson, Georgia —, There's, Peter Strzok, Robert James, that's, I've, James Organizations: Service, Trump, West, Trial, Georgia State University, Associated Press, White, Caribbean, AP, Defense, White House, Records, DC Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, Napa Valley , Florida, Caribbean, Wade's, San Francisco, Belize, Panama, Australia, Miami, Cobb County, Athens, Russia, DeKalb County , Georgia

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Promoters of a secretive Silicon Valley-backed ballot initiative to build a new city on farmland between Sacramento and San Francisco are releasing more details of their plan as they submit paperwork Wednesday to qualify for the November election. That's why Jan Sramek, CEO and founder of California Forever, and the project's backers are turning to the ballot. California and the San Francisco Bay Area are desperate for more housing, especially affordable homes for teachers, firefighters, police and other municipal workers who make a city run. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesSituated between the Bay Area and the state's capital, Solano County is an attractive location for military contractors, agriculture technology and construction tech companies seeking to innovate, said Gabriel Metcalf, head of planning for California Forever. The plan calls for $400 million to help Solano County residents buy homes in the proposed community.

Persons: stealthily, Jan Sramek, Gabriel Metcalf, Metcalf, Sramek, Laurene Powell Jobs, Reid Hoffman, Marc Andreessen, ”, John Garamendi Organizations: FRANCISCO, —, California, Travis Air Force Base, Solano County —, San, California Forever, LinkedIn, Democratic U.S . Rep, U.S . Air Force Locations: Sacramento, San Francisco, Solano County, Rio Vista, California, San Francisco Bay, Texas, Vallejo, Fairfield, Silicon Valley

☆ Ending US war aid will bring a 'big crisis' worse than just a weakened Ukraine, Zelenskyy warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Without continued Western support for Ukraine's war efforts, the consequences could be dire, according to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who warned of a "big crisis" not just for Ukraine but for other countries as well. Zelenskyy has been warning about that worst case scenario outcome for months, as have experts and top war watchers. The roughly $111 billion package, which includes aid to Ukraine and Israel, has been held up by Republicans since October 2023. Should US aid to Ukraine dry up, it'll be a test of how Ukraine's European allies can fill in the gaps. Ukrainian servicemen drive a T-72 tank on the frontline in eastern Ukraine on July 13, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: —, it's, Zelenskyy, Dmytro Smolienko, Joe Biden's, Biden, it'll, MIGUEL MEDINA, Vladimir Putin's, Dara, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Anna Moneymaker, Putin's maximalist, Nicholas Carlson Organizations: Service, Business, Davos, NATO, Russian Federation, Armed Forces, American, Publishing, Getty, North, Republicans, GOP, US Senators, Carnegie Endowment, International, Russian, The Institute, Washington DC Locations: Ukraine, Russia, North Korea, Russian, Donetsk Oblast, Roman, Israel, AFP, Putin — Georgia, Syria, Washington , DC, Washington, Finland

☆ New York Plans to Spend Billions More on Migrant Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will include at least $1.9 billion of migrant spending in her budget. Photo: Seth Wenig/Associated PressALBANY, N.Y.—New York state officials said they would direct another roughly $2 billion to fund the cost of caring for migrants in New York City, adding to the fiscal toll of a crisis that has overwhelmed the city’s normal network of homeless shelters. Kathy Hochul and New York Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday will unveil proposed budgets for the next fiscal year. Particularly in the city, the cost of caring for tens of thousands of migrants who have come to New York, usually after crossing the southern border illegally, has come to dominate municipal spending calculations.

Persons: Kathy Hochul, Seth Wenig, Eric Adams Organizations: New York Gov, Associated Press, New York Locations: Associated Press ALBANY, N.Y, —, York, New York City, New, New York

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Neighborhoods in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state remained flooded Monday more than a day after torrential rains that killed at least 11 people. Some people drowned and were killed in landslides, while at least three died after being electrocuted. Authorities intervened in over 200 incidents due to the flooding across the state, according to a statement from Rio’s civil defense. Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology had warned Thursday of the potential for heavy rain in Rio, Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais due to a combination of heat, humidity and areas of low pressure in the atmosphere. In February 2023, heavy rain caused flooding and landslides that killed at least 48 people in Sao Paulo state.

Persons: Heloisa, Duque de Caxias, Regina, “ We’ve, ”, ” Duque de, Eliana Vieira Krauss, ” Krauss, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, Daniel Soranz Organizations: RIO DE, Avenida Brasil, Brazil's Globo, Firefighters, Authorities, ” Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro Mayor, Ronaldo, Municipal Hospital, Rio Health, Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology Locations: RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil's Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Heloisa Regina, Duque de, Rio, Rio’s, Belford Roxo, Rio de, Rio , Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesThe Arakan Army is a member of the armed ethnic group alliance that recently gained strategic territory in the country’s northeast. The Arakan Army is the well-trained and well-armed military wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, which seeks autonomy from Myanmar’s central government. The Arakan Army first said late Sunday night that it gained complete control of Paletwa township. Paletwa, whose location on the border gives it strategic importance, is where the Arakan Army first established a foothold in 2015 to fight the against the army. However, the Chin have been a major force in the resistance against the military since the army seized power in 2021, so they now share a common enemy with the Arakan Army.

Persons: Khaing, Khaing Thukha, Aung, Suu Kyi, hasn't, Paletwa, Chin Organizations: Arakan Army, Associated Press, Military, Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, National Liberation Army —, Paletwa Locations: BANGKOK, Rakhine, India, Bangladesh, Arakan, Paletwa, Chin, Shan, China, Suu

☆ Citigroup posts $1.8 billion fourth-quarter loss after litany of charges
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Hugh Son | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Citigroup on Friday posted a $1.8 billion fourth-quarter loss after booking several large charges tied to overseas risks, last year's regional banking crisis and CEO Jane Fraser's corporate overhaul. All told, the charges — so massive the bank preannounced their effect this week — hit quarterly earnings by $4.66 billion, or $2 per share, Citigroup said. Excluding their effect, earnings would've been 84 cents a share, the bank said. Revenue: $17.44 billion vs. $18.74 billion expected. Fraser called her company's performance "very disappointing" because of the charges but said Citigroup had made "substantial progress" simplifying the bank last year.

Persons: Jane, would've, Fraser, Mark Mason, Octavio Marenzi, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley Organizations: Citigroup, LSEG, Revenue, Citi, Opimas, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, CNBC PRO Locations: Argentina

☆ An Ohio woman who had a miscarriage at home won't face criminal charges, a grand jury ruled
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Julie Carr Smyth | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Brittany Watts, of Ohio, won't face charges over her at-home miscarriage, a grand jury ruled. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio woman facing a criminal charge for her handling of a home miscarriage will not be charged, a grand jury decided Thursday. Related storiesA municipal judge had found probable cause to bind over Watts' case. Her attorney told the judge Watts had no criminal record and was being "demonized for something that goes on every day."

Persons: Brittany Watts, Watts, —, Warren, Lewis Guarnieri, Terry Ivanchak, Traci Timko, Ivanchak Organizations: Service, Mercy Health, Joseph's, Watts, Warren Locations: Ohio, COLUMBUS , Ohio, An Ohio, Trumbull County, Warren, Cleveland

☆ 4 scientists said they're cutting back on bottled water after measuring the number of microplastics inside
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

About 10 to 100 times more nanoplastics than microplastics were discovered in bottled water, the study found. AdvertisementScientists said they're cutting back on bottled waterThe inside of an optical box reveals the components that organize the light from laser beams to identify nanoplastics, microscopic plastic pieces. Related storiesAll four co-authors interviewed said they were cutting back on their bottled water use after they conduced the study. Wei Min, the Columbia physical chemist who pioneered the dual laser microscope technology, said he has reduced his bottled water use by half. Previous studies looking for microplastics and some early tests indicate there may be less nanoplastic in tap water than bottled.

Persons: Naixin Qian, Mary Conlon, —, Qian, Phoebe Stapleton, microplastics, Wei Min, Stapleton, Beizhan Yan, there's, Jason Somarelli, Somarelli, Zoie Diana, Diana, Min, Yan, Kara Lavender, Denise Hardesty, Louis Organizations: Service, Business, Columbia, Rutgers, National Academy of Sciences, micron, WalMart, Water Association, American Chemistry Council, United Nations Environment, Duke University, University of Toronto, Kara Lavender Law, Sea Education Association Locations: Columbia, New Jersey, Australian, Boston, St, Los Angeles

☆ Investors will soon be able to buy slices of bonds. How to decide if this is the right move for you
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors will be able purchase pieces of corporate bonds, Treasurys and eventually, municipal bonds. The idea is to open up opportunities to investors who don't want to spend upward of $1,000 on single corporate bonds. While retail investors can buy individual corporate bonds through brokerages, they often opt for mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, which offer baskets of diversified bond securities. The iShares Broad USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (USIG) , for instance, tracks the ICE BofA U.S. Corporate Index. For corporate bonds, he suggests looking at actively managed funds, particularly for noninvestment grade and municipal bonds.

Persons: Sam Nofzinger, Nofzinger, Chuck Failla, I'm, Tom Kaiser, Failla Organizations: Public, Corporate, ICE, Sovereign Financial Group, Brock Investment Advisors, Apple, Microsoft, BlackRock Locations: brokerages, TreasuryDirect

☆ These bonds offering tax-free income will still be a good deal in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-27 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Municipal bonds, favored for their tax-free income, are looking at a solid year in 2024 and could be a compelling purchase for investors hoping to lock in attractive yields. "We will likely see positive total returns," said Cooper Howard, fixed income strategist at the Schwab Center for Financial Research. "Munis are one of the best things going in the fixed income space," he said. It provides all the attributes of fixed income, and it serves as ballast to an overall diversified portfolio." Naturally, rates are on the minds of fixed income investors and strategists, as well as recession risk.

Persons: Cooper Howard, who've, Peter Higgins, Ben Barber, Schwab's Howard, Paul Malloy, It's, Beth Foos, Malloy, Howard, you've Organizations: Schwab Center, Financial Research, Morningstar U.S, Municipal, Shelton Capital Management, York Life Investments, Franklin, AAA, Vanguard, Bond, Morningstar Locations: New York , New Jersey, California

☆ 2 nuclear reactors that can power 1 million US homes with clean, sustainable energy is $21 billion over budget and years behind schedule
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-19 | by ( Jeff Amy | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It would take effect in the first month after Vogtle's Unit 4 begins commercial operation, projected to be sometime in March. They're currently projected to cost Georgia Power and three other owners $31 billion, according to Associated Press calculations. But even as government officials and some utilities are again looking to nuclear power to alleviate climate change, the cost of Vogtle could discourage utilities from pursuing nuclear power. Overall, the company said Georgia Power would collect an additional $729 million a year from its 2.7 million customers. The five Republican commissioners, all elected statewide, voted on an agreement that Georgia Power reached with commission staff and some consumer groups.

Persons: —, They're, Jeff Amy Southern, Georgia Power, John Kraft, Jason Shaw, Vogtle, " Shaw, Bryan Jacob Organizations: Service, Georgia Public Service, Georgia Power Co, Business, Vogtle's, Georgia Power, Westinghouse, Republican, Georgia Public Service Commission, AP, Jeff Amy Southern Co, Georgia, Georgia PSC, Power, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Oglethorpe Power Corp, Municipal Electric Authority of Locations: ATLANTA, Georgia, Augusta, American, Atlanta, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, Dalton, Florida, Alabama

☆ Investors seeking a high-quality bond fund can find one in this 'solid' offering, says Morningstar
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-15 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

By contrast, the other intermediate-term fund on the Morningstar FundInvestor 500 list, PIMCO Investment Grade Credit Bond fund, has more than 10% in high yield, according to Morningstar. "That's why having that exposure to investment grade corporate bonds … at this point in the cycle is a tremendous value," he added. Meanwhile, the assets in the fund that are high yield are what Narayanan calls high quality, "mispriced securities." Those are the types of names that have recently been upgraded back into the investment grade space," he said. "We tend to use that capacity in high yield to add to those types of issuers before the upgrade, anticipating the upgrade."

Persons: Morningstar, Paul Olmsted, Olmsted, Arvind Narayanan, Narayanan, VFIDX Organizations: Vanguard's, Fund, SEC, Morningstar, Oppenheimer, Vanguard, Credit Bond, CNBC Fed Survey, Fitch, Occidental Petroleum, Federal Reserve Locations: Detroit, Morningstar, Treasurys, Occidental

☆ Popular Taiwanese rock band Mayday investigated for lip-synching in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Popular Taiwanese rock band Mayday is being investigated by Chinese authorities over allegations of lip-synching during recent concerts, an accusation the band’s label has denied in a controversy that has dominated Chinese social media since the weekend. Live shows routinely use pre-recorded background vocals and music to bolster artists’ live singing performances, especially acts that involve vigorous choreography. Chinese government regulations explicitly ban performers from “deceiving audiences with lip-synching,” and organizers from arranging for performers to lip synch. The band is well known for hosting energetic marathons of music, with each show typically lasting two to three hours. They were among the first Taiwanese musicians to hold large-scale concerts in China after the country lifted its stringent zero-Covid policy and travel restrictions.

Persons: ”, ’, vlogger Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Tourism Bureau, Xinhua, B’in Music, Weibo, CNN, B’in, “ Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shanghai Culture, Weibo, Taiwan, Beijing

Signage is seen for British utility company Thames Water at a repair site in London, Britain, June 28, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Thames Water, Britain's biggest water utility, is proceeding with a three-year turnaround plan, it said on Tuesday, adding it had a high level of liquidity and the support of investors, as it seeks to ease concern over its financial stability. Thames Water's environment record has also come under scrutiny. "Our shareholders support this much needed investment, underscoring their commitment to delivering Thames' turnaround." Robert Goodwill, chairman of Britain's environment, food and rural affairs committee, said that he may need to ask Thames Water bosses further questions.

Persons: Toby Melville, Cathryn Ross, Alastair Cochran, Robert Goodwill, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Thames, REUTERS, Media, Thames Water, Ontario, China Investment Corp, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Thames

☆ Bond yields will come down from their fever pitch in 2024. How to prepare your portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Expect to work a little harder for those fixed income returns in the new year. As a result, it may be time to start unwinding those big cash positions and adopt a longer-term mentality for fixed income investments. A runup in bond yields is accompanied by a decline in prices, and the two move inversely to one another. The sector "remains well positioned to maintain its high credit quality, driven by solid state credit quality and strong state financial support, despite soft enrollment trends," analyst Kathleen McNamara wrote last week. Consider dollar cost averaging into those longer-dated positions, incrementally building up exposure to intermediate duration bonds.

Persons: Jerome Powell, it's, Kathy Jones, Shannon Saccocia, Jones, Nicholos Venditti, Kathleen McNamara, Schwab's Jones, Barry McAlinden, Michael Bloom Organizations: Schwab Center, Financial Research, Bond, SEC, Muni Bond ETF, Allspring Global Investments, UBS

☆ Karabakh refugees in Armenia face uncertainty and poverty in exile
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] Elada Sargsyan, 54, a refugee from Nagorno-Karbakh region, poses for a picture in a disused kindergarten, where she now lives temporarily along with dozens of other refugees from Karabakh, in the town of Masis, Armenia November 22, 2023. Born in the Azerbaijani capital Baku, Sargsyan fled her hometown in 1988, aged 19, as the Soviet Union began to fall apart. In 2020, they lost another home, when Azerbaijan - by now closely allied with Armenians' bête noire, Turkey - reconquered much of Karabakh including their village in a second war. Like many refugees, they have struggled to find work in Armenia. Alvina, a grandmother aged 65, has become the family’s main breadwinner, earning a little money selling homemade "jingalov hats" or "green bread", a flatbread stuffed with herbs that is a staple for Karabakh Armenians.

Persons: Elada Sargsyan, Irakli, Sargsyan, I’ve, they’ll, Masis, Alina Harutyunyan, Harutyunyan, I'd, Lilia Abrahamyan, Felix Light, Kevin Liffey Organizations: REUTERS, Soviet Union, Mount, Karabakh, Thomson Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Masis, Armenia, Azerbaijan, MASIS, Baku, Soviet, Soviet Armenia, Aknaghbyur, Turkey, Armenia’s, Yerevan, Mount Ararat, Harutyunagomer, Ottoman Turks, Karabakh's, Vanadzor, Alvina

☆ EV charging growth plans slowed by EU's power grid problems
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Julia Payne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

These are due to be implemented in 18 months and include addressing EV charging station power shortages. The ease of building an EV charging hub varies considerably country by country. To do so, it will ban sales of CO2-emitting vehicles from 2035 and wants to develop a network of EV charging stations. "Sometimes we have to send physical mail," said Peter Badik, co-founder of EV charging firm Greenway Network, which has set up 1,300 EV chargers in Slovakia, Croatia and Poland. "There is a clear need for more standardisation (of requirements for charging hubs)," BP's van Dobschuetz added.

Persons: Repsol, It's Kafka, Lucie Mattera, Mattera, Miguel Stilwell de Andrade, Peter Badik, Stefan van Dobschuetz, Dobschuetz, ChargeUp Europe's Mattera, Julia Payne, Alexander Smith Organizations: European Union, European Commission, EV, Reuters, Industry, Greenway Network, BP Pulse, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Germany, Spain, Europe, EU, Slovakia, Croatia, Poland

☆ Woman dies in apparent shark attack at Mexican beach resort
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A woman has been killed in an apparent shark attack at a beach resort on Mexico’s Pacific coast. The woman, who has not been officially named, was found dead by emergency services at the scene in Melaque Bay, Cihuatlán municipality, on Saturday, according to a statement from the local civil protection and fire service, posted on Facebook. One of the victim’s legs had been severed, according to the statement, which said the injury appeared to have been caused by a shark attack. The Cihuatlán municipal government also warned people to stay away from local beaches, in a statement posted on Facebook. The municipal government of nearby La Huerta also warned citizens about “the presence of a shark on the southern coast of Jalisco” in a statement on Facebook.

Persons: La Huerta Organizations: CNN, Facebook Locations: Melaque Bay, Cihuatlán, Jalisco, Mexico, La

☆ City officials in Brazil unanimously voted to pass a bill that was secretly written by ChatGPT in just 15 seconds
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A city in Brazil unanimously passed a bill entirely drafted by ChatGPT. The sponsor told BI that he kept the AI component secret to ensure the bill actually got voted on. AdvertisementA bill about water meters that a Brazilian city council unanimously voted to pass in October was revealed to have been entirely written by ChatGPT, its sponsor disclosed last week in an X post. Rosário told The Post that this experiment was performed to bring about "the debate surrounding the beginning of a great technological revolution." Last Wednesday, when was revealed that ChatGPT formulated the bill, it was met with skepticism by the city council's president.

Persons: ChatGPT, —, Ramiro Rosário, OpenAI's chatbot, Rosário, wasn't, Hamilton Sossmeier, Sossmeier Organizations: Service, The Washington Post, Post, OpenAI, Sewage Department, Associated Press, AP Locations: Brazil, Porto Alegre, The

☆ DeSantis board accuses Disney of controlling previous one with gifts
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It found the board was "inverted to serve Disney," which held voting control of the prior board of supervisors. The Central Florida Oversight Board will meet Wednesday to vote whether to accept the report, which was prepared for the board by a group of experts. In what Disney described as retaliation, the Florida legislature in February replaced the old board with a new Central Florida Oversight District, whose five supervisors are handpicked by DeSantis. In April, Disney sued Florida in federal court, claiming DeSantis and his allies of "weaponizing" state government to punish Disney for exercising its free speech rights. The DeSantis-appointed oversight board counter-sued in state court, seeking to void the "backroom deals" favorable to the entertainment giant.

Persons: Octavio Jones, Ron DeSantis, Walt Disney's, Disney, DeSantis, flagrantly, John Classe, Dawn Chmielewski, Ken Li, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Walt Disney, REUTERS, Walt, Disney, DeSantis, Central, Central Florida Tourism, Florida Oversight, Reuters, American Express, Florida, Thomson Locations: Orlando , Florida, U.S, Florida, Reedy, Central Florida, New York

Despite the fact that food is a big climate problem, very little has been done so far to address it. Here are some details about the sources of emissions from the food and agriculture sector:HOW MUCH DOES OUR FOOD EMIT? Global food systems accounted for 17 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent or 31% of human-made greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). That wasted food - including the energy used to produce and transport it, spoilage along the way and the food thrown out after rotting in household fridges - generates half of all global food system emissions, according to a March study published in the journal Nature Food. Food waste makes up about 25% of municipal solid waste in landfills in the United States, according to a recent study by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Persons: Brittany Hosea, Leah Douglas, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, mets, United Nations, Food, Agriculture Organization, FAO, Environmental Protection Agency, Thomson Locations: Vernalis , California, U.S, Dubai, Brazil, United States

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